By: Dale Weckbacher
1 Peter 2:9-10
But you are a
chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people
for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once
you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received
mercy, but now you have received mercy.
(ESV)
Even though the United States is no longer part of the
British monarchy, there is still a fascination with what happens in the British
royal family. One explanation for this
fascination could be the allure by those living an ordinary and mundane life
with those living a life of fame who are continuously in the public eye. The good news is that those choosing to
believe in Christ and make Him the Lord of their lives have citizenship in the
household of God and are part of His royal family (Ephesians
2:19; 1 Peter 2:9-10). While this
royal family is not constantly in the news giving those in the family fame and
notoriety, the kingdom has eternal rewards that no earthly kingdom can match (John
3:16). The rewards for those in the
royal family of God are,
1)
Hope (Ephesians
2:12) – The hopelessness and despair of eternal separation from God which
occurred in Genesis
3 have been reversed through the blood of Jesus Christ giving all choosing
to make Jesus their Lord eternal hope (John
3:16).
2)
The treasured possession of God (Exodus
19:5-6) – While the promise of being a treasured possession of God in Exodus
19:5-6 is given to the nation of Israel, through Christ the promise is for
all choosing to make Jesus Lord of their lives (Romans
3). This is because both Jews and
Gentiles are under sin and need a savior (Romans
3:9,23). Not only are believers in
Christ reunited with God but treasured by Him.
3)
Holy to the Lord (Deuteronomy
7:6) – Not only are believers treasured by God, but they are also holy
through the death of Christ for their sins, freeing believers from the condemnation
of sin (John
3:17; Romans 5:8).
4)
Loved by God (Deuteronomy
10:15) – This is not a love just expressed by words but a love demonstrated
by God coming to live with sinful humanity but beyond that, dying to reconcile a
broken relationship due to sin (Romans
5:8).
5)
Cared for by God (Isaiah
43:20-21) – Just like the rest of creation, God provides for His
people. However, so extensive is God’s
love that he even provides for the needs of those choosing not to believe in
him (Matthew
5:45). However, those that choose to
make Jesus their savior escape condemnation (John
3:17) and have their greatest need met, the need for a restored
relationship with their creator.
6)
Forgiven and sanctified (Acts
26:18) – The process of forgiveness from God is something one experiences
when they ask Jesus to forgive their sins.
Sanctification is the setting apart of God’s people and an ongoing
process. This is why members of God’s
royal family must pray, study and meditate on God’s Word, and be with other believers
to separate from the world and its system and conform to God’s will (Romans
12:2).
7)
Built-up by God (1
Peter 2:5) – It is through the ongoing sanctification process that God
builds godly character in His people. However,
this building up process may require some pain and suffering as God tears down the
world system in our hearts. Therefore,
we must maintain our joy in the Lord when suffering comes, knowing it is
building godly character in our lives (James
1:2-4). God’s desire is for His
royal family to be strong.
8)
Given mercy by God (Hosea
1:6,9) – Just like royal families on earth, the royal family of God can be
dysfunctional. However, God is not the
source of the dysfunction for He remains perfect. Instead, the dysfunctional aspects of the
family of God are due to the disobedience of His children. Fortunately, God has mercy and stands ready
to forgive those approaching Him so he can build them up (1
John 1:9).
Being part of God’s royal family carries certain benefits
but is not a reason for one to believe they have moral superiority over those
that are not part of the family.
Instead, those in the family are to lead as servants of Christ that have
a purpose to serve others by spreading the news of Jesus’ death, burial, and
resurrection and the making of disciples (Mark
10:42-45; 16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). This
aligns with Jesus’ purpose in coming the first time, not to have others serve
Him but to serve. Those in the royal
family of God are not to become another elitist class of individuals for the
world already has plenty of them, but instead to be ambassadors of Christ pointing
and leading others into the family for God does not want any to perish by being
outside the family (2
Corinthians 5:20; 2 Peter 3:9). If
you are currently living outside the family because you have not accepted Jesus
as your savior, I encourage you to join the family by praying with me,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, spent
three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord
of my life.
Welcome to the family.
I now encourage you to learn about your heavenly Father through
listening to Him by studying the Bible and talking to Him in prayer just like
you would talk to anyone else. I also
encourage you to regularly get with other family members in church or a bible
study. Others can join the family too,
so be sure to tell your friends about Jesus or share this blog with
others. May God bless everyone reading
this post.
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